High Five
by wingedflower
Summary: Allura discovers a side of Lance that she had never seen before.


Allura was well-aware of the importance of victory celebrations. They were a crucial part of establishing close relations with the planets that she, Coran and the five Paladins liberated from the Galra Empire - relations that will endure long after they left those planets to continue with their mission of defending the universe. So when the citizens of Bowlar - the recent planet they had liberated - insisted on throwing a huge celebration at the capital in their saviors' honor, Allura and her team didn't really had the option to refuse.

However, as Princess of Altea and leader of the Castle of Lions, Allura couldn't just go downtown and enjoy herself like the others. First she had to go through the entire diplomatic part of the event. That part meant sitting in a chair that was placed on a high stage, away from the crowded streets, and hold a friendly conversation with every Bowlarian who wished to greet her or discuss some sort of pressing matter with her - and apparently, there were _a lot_ of those. Allura lost count of how many hours she spent on that stage, but at some point her neck became extremely stiff from sitting and nodding nonstop, and she couldn't stop herself from constantly shifting her weight in her chair.

"Is there something wrong, Princess?" Shiro asked her in a moment of rest between greetings and handshakes. He and Coran stayed to handle the diplomatic conversations with her while the other Paladins went to explore the city, and that was a small comfort.

Allura shook her head and sent him a small smile. "I appreciate your concern, Shiro, but I'm perfectly fine. It's just... well, we've been sitting here for quite a long time. Everybody is so kind and generous, but I still feel a bit cooped up."

Shiro hummed in sympathy. "It's been a long day. But we can't let our hosts down - They've worked so hard for setting this huge event for us. So, just hang in there, okay?"

Allura laughed. "Oh, don't worry, I'm hanging just fine. Although..." she shifted in her chair once more, craning her neck to get a better look at the city beneath them. "I truly wish I could go down there, even for a little bit! The city looks absolutely marvelous, and I'm _dying_ to stretch my legs."

"Well, I don't see a reason why not," Coran said from her other side. "I'm sure the Bowlarians can manage without your lovely company for a while, Princess. Number One and I will keep them busy while you're enjoying yourself."

Allura brought her hands to her chest in gratitude. "Oh, Coran, thank you so much! I would love that!"

Shiro frowned. "I'm not so comfortable with you going down there alone, Allura."

"This planet is entirely Galra-free now!" Allura grumbled. "And for your knowledge, I am perfectly capable of defending myself."

"I know. I didn't mean to underestimate you. But I'll still be more calm if someone came with you, just in case."

"The princess needs an escort? Well it's your lucky day, because obviously I'm the best man for the job," Lance's cheerful boast came out of nowhere, making the three of them jump in their chairs.

"L-Lance!" Allura blurted. "I thought you went downtown with the others."

Lance shrugged. "Hunk got himself into an eating contest with the locals, and it got pretty messy, so I thought I'd pop in here and check on you guys. So, what were you saying about escorting the Princess?"

Shiro stared at him for a moment. It was clear from the twitch of his mouth that he was seriously contemplating the idea of Lance _,_ of all people, functioning as Allura's bodyguard. Apparently he found no actual claim against it, as he cleared his throat and said, "Allura wants to take a small break from our conversations and go see the city. We thought that it would be best for one of us to go along with her."

"Shiro, I honestly don't need - " Allura began, but Lance already grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair. "Come on, Allura, it will be fun!" He called, then leaned closer to her and winked. "Besides, you'll finally grant your wish of going on a date with me."

"I've never wished to - _whoa!_ " Allura stumbled forward as Lance pulled her hand once more, leading her off the stage and into the crowded streets. Allura shot Shiro an exasperated glare, catching a glimpse of his apologetic smile before he and Coran disappeared from her view.

However, she forgot her nerves almost instantly. The Bowlarians sure knew how to party - there was so much to see and do around the city that it was impossible for her to keep pouting, and even Lance was so mesmerized by everything that he quickly neglected his annoying flirtation. They chattered and laughed and Allura started to feel like a teenager again, being able to genuinely enjoy herself without worrying about the castle or Zarkon or anything else.

At some point they both found themselves at a more distant part of the city, which seemed abandoned for the time being - everyone must have gone to enjoy the celebration. Allura didn't mind, though; she was happy to have a moment to catch her breath.

"Oh, that was so much fun," she stretched her arms above her head in satisfaction. "Thank you for coming with me, Lance. It was nice to have someone to share this experience with."

"Well, it is known that every trip with Lance is an experience," Lance said in a seductive voice, and Allura rolled her eyes, though only half-heartedly.

Suddenly they heard a shuffle from a nearby alley and tensed in their places. However, the creature that appeared in front of them was far from intimidating. It looked like a normal Bowlarian, only much, much shorter, and a bit rounder, and it had only four eyes instead of seven. An object that looked like a rag doll dangled from its clawed hand.

Lance and Allura both blinked at the same time.

"Is that a...?" Allura began.

"A baby Bowlarian?" Lance stepped closer to the small creature. "Well, judging by its looks... yeah, I think it is. Not sure if it's a he or a she, though, it's hard to tell at that age." He crouched in front of the creature and reached out his arm. "Hey there, little fella."

"Lance, watch out!" Allura blurted. "You don't know what it's capable of!"

Lance's eyebrows shot up so high that Allura cringed. " _You don't know what it's capable of?_ " He deadpanned. "It's a _little kid_ , Allura."

Allura felt her cheeks go on fire. "Well - yes, of course, I am aware of that."

Lance smirked. "A brave princess like you is afraid of kids?"

"I am not afraid of anything!" Allura protested, blushing even harder.

"If you say so," Lance turned back to the toddler before Allura could find the words to save her honor. "Hello! I'm Lance, and this pretty but stressed out lady over there is Princess Allura. What's your name? Can you tell me your name?"

The kid said nothing, only raised the doll to its chest and clutched it as if its life depended on it.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me your name," Lance said patiently. "But I can't help but notice that you're all alone here. What's the matter? Did you lose your parents?"

The kid remained silent, but its four eyes started to well up with something that could only be taken as tears, followed by a high-pitched whine of distress.

"Aw, there's no need to cry," Lance crouched lower until he was at eye level with the kid. "We'll help you find your parents, don't worry! In the meantime, I have something that'll cheer you up. Hold on a second..." He stuck his hand in his inner chest pocket and drew out a bright-orange candy bar that Allura recognized from one of the food carts they passed earlier. "There it is! Let me tell you something, I was going to keep this thing for myself because it's so delicious, but I'm ready to share it with you if you promise to not to cry until we find your parents. What do you say, buddy? Think you can do that for me?"

The kid blinked a couple of times, then snuffled loudly, apparently doing its best to hold back its tears.

"That's the spirit!" Lance smiled and handed the candy to the kid, who, after a moment of hesitation, snatched it away and shoved it in its mouth. "Good job, you've earned it. High five! Oh, wait - you guys probably don't know what a high five is... well, it's really easy! You do this with your fingers - " He spread his fingers wide open and raised them above the kid's head - "and then, you just slam the flat side against mine! But not too hard, because those claws seem kinda sharp, even for a kid. Come on, give it a try!"

The kid tilted its head to the side, as if trying to understand what Lance was meaning, then spread its claws and slammed clumsily the flat of its paw against Lance's open palm.

"Alright!" Lance cheered. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a fast leaner here!"

Allura watched all this in utter confusion, but also with great fascination. She wasn't really _afraid_ of children - she just didn't know how to approach them. There were no children younger than her back when she lived in the castle with her family, so she never had the chance to spend time with them.

But for Lance, dealing with small children seemed so _natural._ It took him barely two minutes to sooth the young Bowlarian and get it to trust him completely. He was being his usual self - happy and playful and easy-going - but there was also a certain tenderness to his behavior when he interacted with the child, as if he knew exactly what to say and do. This was the first time Allura has seen this side of the Blue Paladin, and it fascinated her to no end.

Humans were indeed full of surprises.

There was a sound of quick footsteps from behind her, and she turned sharply at their direction. A couple of adult Bowlarians emerged from the same alley the kid emerged from earlier, looking terrified and alarmed.

"Oh, thank the gods!" the woman called and put her hands on her knees, panting hard. "You found him!"

"Him?" Allura turned back to Lance and the Bowlarian child, then back to the couple. "Is this... your son?"

She didn't need to wait for an answer, though, as the kid jumped in his place and started to waddle towards the couple, waving his short arms and squeaking joyfully.

"Yes, Kirt'nel'i, that's it, come to mommy!" The woman called and stepped forward to gather the kid in her arms, making him squeak again. "Why did you run like this? Do you know have any idea how much you scared your poor parents?"

"Darling, look!" the man tugged at the woman's sleeve and pointed at Lance and Allura in excitement. "It's the Altean Princess and one of the Paladins of Voltron! The heroes who had just saved Bowlar!"

"Heroes? Well I sure like the sound of that," Lance crossed his arms and puffed his chest.

"I simply cannot believe it. First you save our planet, then our only son. We can never thank you enough, Princess, Blue Paladin. We are forever indebted to you," the man got to his knees and bowed in front of Allura so deeply that all of his seven eyes touched the floor.

"Oh, please, there's no need to..." Allura stuttered, raising her hands in embarrassment. She didn't have the heart to tell the man that she herself didn't actually do anything, for it was Lance who took care of Kirt'nel'i and played with him until his parents came to fetch him.

Lance, for a change, did not seem to mind to share the credit with her. "No problem. I mean, this is our thing, you know, helping people and stuff." He walked towards the mother and smiled warmly at the kid. "I guess it's time for you to go home, little guy! But don't worry, I really enjoyed our time together."

"Say goodbye to the nice Paladin, Kirt'nel'i," the mother said.

Kirt'nel'i blinked, then raised his small hand and spread his claws open, watching Lance in anticipation.

Lance's smile grew so wide to the point that he was practically beaming. "You got it, buddy," he said and returned the gesture, pressing his palm gently against Kirt'nel'i's.

He and Allura watched the little family going down the alley, until the three of them disappeared behind a corner and were seen no more.

"That was absolutely amazing, Lance," Allura said. "I had no idea you were so good with children."

Lance rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Eh, no big deal. Guess I'm used to it from home."

"Oh, right. You have a large family back on Earth, don't you?"

"Yeah. I have one little brother, two little sisters, and a bunch of younger cousins. We all live in the same neighborhood, so I pretty much played babysitter ever since I was a kid myself." He cleared his throat. "That Bowlarian kid, he... well, he reminded me of my youngest sister, Luisa. She's a really shy girl, doesn't like to talk to strangers. When we were younger, she used to hide behind my leg every time we had guests and - " his voice cracked all of a sudden, and his face fell at once. He swallowed hard and looked aside, avoiding Allura's gaze.

Allura's shoulders dropped. All of the paladins got homesick from time to time - even Coran and her, who had their entire home planet destroyed, would give everything to go back to Altea and see their families once more. It was a natural feeling, part of traveling the universe, never staying too long in one place. However, she has never put too much thought into the fact that maybe Lance, being the person with the largest family among them, was having it a bit harder than the others.

She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Lance. I know how deeply you miss your family. I didn't mean to bring up those painful emotions."

Lance shook his head, smiling sadly. "Nah, it's cool. Besides... well, it's kinda stupid, but I think that it is actually a good thing that I miss them so much. It means that I hadn't forgotten them yet, and forgetting is way worse than feeling sad. Does that even make sense?"

Allura approached Lance and squeezed his shoulder sympathetically. "It's not stupid, and it makes perfectly sense. And I'm sure they hadn't forgotten you, either. After we defeat Zarkon and you Paladins go back to Earth... your family is going to be _so_ proud of what you did, Lance. I have no doubt of that."

Lance covered Allura's hand with his own. "I hope so." He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then opened them again, and his expression brightened. "Now come on, let's head back before Shiro thinks I kidnapped you or something."

"I'd like to see you try," Allura teased.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while until they were back at the busy city center, and then Lance spoke. "I hope it's okay to ask, but... Allura, did you any brothers or sisters, back in Altea?"

Allura shook her head. "I was an only daughter to my father," she said. "But even though I was the only heir to the throne and got educated accordingly, I still had plenty of time to spend with my cousins. I was the youngest, though, so this is why I'm not very experienced with small children..." she blushed. "B-but still, we had a lot of fun together! We played all kinds of crazy games. Did I tell you about the time my cousins dared me to shave Coran's moustache in his sleep?"

Lance froze in his place as if he was struck by lightning. "Okay, change of plans. We are _not_ going back until you tell me this story. And I mean every. Single. Detail."

Allura laughed. "Well, it all started as a silly bet, honestly.."


End file.
